The invention relates to a device and a method for separating blood into blood components.
European Patent 0 349 188 B1 discloses a device for separating blood into blood components, said device having a blood-collecting pouch which is connected via a first hose line to a primary pouch, the primary pouch being connected, via a further hose line, to a satellite pouch. In the first hose line connecting the blood-collecting pouch to the primary pouch, a filter is arranged for removing leucocytes. For extracting blood components that are free of leucocytes, a donor""s whole blood is collected in the blood-collecting pouch and is conveyed to the primary pouch, via the hose line containing the filter. Subsequently, the hose line segment situated between the filter and the primary pouch is severed, the point of separation being sealed off. The primary pouch is then centrifuged, together with secondary pouch, to separate the blood contained in the primary pouch into two blood components. One of the two blood components is then conveyed, via the second hose line, into the satellite pouch. In this way, after filtration of the whole blood, leucocyte-free blood components are extracted. With the known method, a decided advantage can be seen in the fact that the pouch arrangement is centrifuged without the filter, therefore avoiding a mechanical stressing of the filter.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,657, a device is known for separating blood into blood components, said device having a primary pouch which is connected, via a first hose line, to a first satellite pouch and, via a second hose line, to a second satellite pouch, containing an additive solution. In the known device, the leucocyte filter is arranged in the second hose line, which connects the primary pouch to the second satellite pouch. For extracting a leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate, the donor""s whole blood collected in the primary pouch is first centrifuged to separate the whole blood into a mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes and an erythrocyte layer. The mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes is then conveyed into the first satellite pouch. Subsequently, the additive solution is conveyed from the second satellite pouch into the primary pouch. The erythrocytes resuspended in the additive solution are then conveyed from the primary pouch, via the second hose line containing the leucocyte filter, into the second satellite pouch. The known device is not designed for whole blood filtration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,564 discloses a pouch system comprising a collecting pouch and two satellite pouches, each satellite pouch being connected, via hose lines, to the collecting pouch. These lines each contain a filter. The whole blood is collected in the collecting pouch and is centrifuged for separation into its components. Only then does the filtration of the individual blood components take place. The known pouch system is not designed for whole blood filtration.
U.S. Patent No. 5,527,472 discloses a pouch system comprising a collecting pouch and various further pouches connected to each other by means of flexible lines. One of the lines contains a filter. A bypass line acts to remove residual air. The known pouch system is not designed for whole blood filtration.
The invention has the objective of creating a universally usable device for separating blood into blood components, said device permitting both the filtration of only one blood component as well as the filtration of whole blood.
In addition, the invention has the objective of indicating a method which permits blood to be separated into blood components without whole blood filtration.
These and other objectives of the invention are achieved through a device having a collecting container for collecting whole blood, a primary container, one or more satellite containers downstream from the primary container and a leucocyte filter between the collecting container and the primary container. According to the invention a bypass line is provided by which blood may be routed from the collecting container to the primary container without passing through the leucocyte filter. Thus, the invention allows filtration of the whole blood provided from the collecting container or filtration of a blood component provided from the primary container.
In the device of the invention for separating blood into blood components, provision is made for a bypass line between the collecting pouch and the primary container, for creating a fluid connection, circumventing the filter. If the filtration is to be of only one blood component and not of whole blood, then the donor""s blood collected in the collecting container is conveyed, via the bypass line, circumventing the filter, from the collecting container into the primary container. The blood in the primary container is then separated through centrifuging into two blood components, one of which is conveyed into a satellite container downstream from the primary container. The blood component in the primary container is then conveyed, via the line path containing the leucocyte filter, into the collecting container for separating out the leucocytes.
It is expedient if the means for opening and closing the bypass line or the collecting line are hose clamps, which are attached to the lines. The hose clamps, however, can also be added, unattached, to the hose line system.
A leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate is extracted by separating the whole blood in the primary container through centrifuging into an erythrocyte layer and a layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes, and the mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes being conveyed into the satellite container, the erythrocytes remaining in the primary container. To extract leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate, the erythrocytes are then conveyed, via the line path containing the leucocyte filter, into the collecting container. The collecting container can then be disconnected and the point of separation sealed off.
Alternatively, with the device of the invention, it is also possible to separate the blood components in accordance with the method described in European Patent 0 349 188 B1. For this purpose, the bypass line is interrupted and the whole blood is first conveyed to the primary container, via the line path containing the leucocyte filter, before it is separated by centrifuging into the individual blood components. In this context, the leucocyte filter is designed such that it can be operated in two directions, i.e., the filter connections can be used both as inlet and outlet.
For extracting a leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate from whole blood, a separating device having only one satellite container is sufficient. An advantageous specific embodiment of the separating device comprises a second satellite container, downstream from the first satellite container, so that, in a second centrifuging step, the blood components in the first satellite container can be separated out and the separated-out blood components conveyed into the second satellite container.
In a preferred specific embodiment of the separating device, provision is made for an additive container, which is connected to a primary container via an additive line. The additive container is filled with a solution used for storing a blood component. This solution can be added to the blood component remaining in the primary container.
In a preferred refinement, the first collecting line, which connects the collecting container to the filter inlet, and/or the second collecting line, which connects the filter outlet to the primary container, is designed as a line which can be divided or sealed off or clamped off, e.g., a PVC line, so that the collecting container can be easily separated for storing the leucocyte-free blood components, or the leucocyte filter can be separated from the primary container before the centrifuging, as the case may be. For interrupting the fluid connection, conventional hose clamps can be provided on the hose lines. However, even in the known methods, the hose lines can be heat-sealed after separation.
In the following, two exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in detail with reference to the drawings.